Journalistst Derya Okatan and Metin Yoksu, who were released on probation yesterday after 24 days in custody for covering the email scandal of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, spoke to ANF.

ETHA director Derya Okatan, DİHA reporter Meting Yoksu and Gazete Yolculuk news editor Eray Sargın were released on probation yesterday and were greeted by their friends. The journalists expressed concern for their colleagues Ömer Çelik, Mahir Kanaat and Tuncay Öğreten, who were formally arrested, and emphasized that they were more determined to pursue journalism now.

‘WE WERE KEPT UNDER INHUMANE CONDITIONS'

Derya Okatan, who was on hunger strike for 24 days in order to protest their unlawful detention, said that they were kept under inhumane conditions worse than prisons. Okatan pointed out that detention centers were overcrowded and unhygienic, and male police officers constantly insulted and threatened to kill her during her detention.

‘WHEN REDHACK DID NOT WORK, THEY TRIED TO LINK US TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS'

Okatan objected to the arrest of her 3 colleagues and said their case was nonsense as the police, the prosecutor and the judges accused the journalists of different crimes. Okatan said "When they realized that the RedHack accusation would not hold, they tried to link us to other organizations. They chose three of our friends as victims and arrested them as they randomly chose organizations to link them to."

Remarking that the operation was aimed at intimidating not only 6 but all journalists, Okatan said they were now more determined now to make the truth accessible to the people and struggle until all journalists are freed.

‘WE WILL DO OUR JOB EVEN IF THEY KEEP US IN CUSTODY FOR 5 YEARS'

Tired and weakened, Metin Yoksu was still sad to leave behind three of his friends. Yoksu emphasized that the police did not have a case file at the time of the journalists’ detention, and were trying to link the journalists to organizations as they were preparing the case file. Yoksu stressed that he was accused of propagating for both DHKP/C and PKK, while Tuncay Öğreten was jailed for alleged membership to DHKP/C and Mahir Kanaat for alleged membership to the Gülen Movement. Yoksu noted that all of these accusations were based on an online document.

Lastly, Yoksu stated that with isolation, lack of food and inhumane treatment, detention was worse than prison, and emphasized that journalists would do their job even if they were kept in custody for 5 years even.